OUR VIEW: A little food for thought

Time was when the local farm was the only game in town when it came to putting food on the table. If you didn't grow it, your neighbor did, and rounding out the daily menu was a collaboration of efforts among family, friends and neighbors. That changed as small farms dwindled and large corporate operations became the norm.

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Uticaod

Writer

Posted Jan. 7, 2014 at 3:15 AM

Posted Jan. 7, 2014 at 3:15 AM

Time was when the local farm was the only game in town when it came to putting food on the table. If you didn't grow it, your neighbor did, and rounding out the daily menu was a collaboration of efforts among family, friends and neighbors. That changed as small farms dwindled and large corporate operations became the norm.

More recently, the tide has started turning. And while some of the innovative efforts undertaken can be risky business for the entrepreneurs, we can make sure this trend continues by supporting our local farmers.

Last year, for the first time in many years, the number of family farms in New York state held steady. That's good news for the agricultural industry, but it's also great news for consumers, who, as a result, have access to the freshest goods possible. Opportunities to peddle that home-grown bounty have increased significantly in recent years as local farmers markets have grown — some operating year-round.

Now enterprising local farmers like Westmoreland's Bernie and Denise Szarek and Paul and Patti Bunnelle of Fairfield have dared to extend the growing season by utilizing large greenhouses and high tunnels to provide local produce to area residents and some local restaurants.

Such controlled environment agriculture could be a way to the future. By supporting such efforts, we can re-circulate our dollars into one of our region's and state's most vital industries — agriculture. And knowing that your food is grown down the road instead off across the continent provides a sense of comfort that is easily digestible.